Figure 1: KVM Logo on Palm III
Figure 2: Code generated by PBM2Palm
The KVM (K Virtual Machine) is the reference implementation of
Sun's Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME)
for the Palm.
The CLDC (Connected Limited Device Configuration) is a version of
the J2ME suitable for small PDAs and mobile phones. The KVM/CLDC
contains development tools for preparing Java applications on
Solaris and Windows.
During my flight to the JavaOne conference 2000 I had 10 hours,
a linux-only laptop, a Palm and the KVM/CLDC 1.0 FCS download.
You can imagine my mood when I found out that it supports only
Solaris and Windows. So I ported the development tools to
Linux and was able to run my first Java program compiled on Linux
for the Palm in the sky. Later the Palm-like emulator was also
ported by me and the guys at JavaSoft offered my the possibility
to run the TCK (Technology Compatibility Kit) against my port.
All tests succeeded, so the KVM for Linux patch is quite safe.
A few weeks later JavaSoft invited me to their labs in the
Valley where we integrated my patch into the next J2ME release.
Since Sun has released
the new version in the meantime, my patch is now obsolete.
But I kept the old material for historical reasons ,)
To get an idea how my first version of the port went, you can
read my article
at KVMWorld. There is also
an article
(local copy) in the October issue of the iX
magazine describing how to set up a tool chain for the KVM on Linux. The
downloads used in that article are available in the
links section of this page.
The installation and compilation of the
KVM on Linux is described in my patch. If you like, you can still
download the KVM for Linux Patch 1.4.
© 2001 A. Heilwagen